1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid lubricant-coating device and an image-forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exist a demand for acceleration of image-forming in common image-forming apparatuses using the electrophotographic mode, such as copying machines, printers and facsimile apparatuses. It is needed, for acceleration of image-forming, to increase the output of the charging unit for charging the surface of photosensitive member and the sensitivity of the photosensitive member. However, increase in output of the charging unit leads to increase in the amounts of O3 and NOx emitted, and increase in sensitivity of the photosensitive member leads to easier change of the properties of the photosensitive member surface by O3 and NOx, causing a problem of generation of image noises such as image blurring and image flowing. It may be possible to prevent generation of the imaging noises by abrading the photosensitive member surface altered in properties, but such a method also caused a problem that the lifetime of the photosensitive member was shortened.
Disclosed is a technology concerning an image-forming apparatus, comprising an application unit for applying a solid lubricant to the surface of a photosensitive member, a flattening unit for making a thin film of the applied solid lubricant at a downstream position of the application unit, and a lubricant-removing unit for removing the deteriorated solid lubricant at an upstream position of the application unit (Japanese Patent-Application Laid-Open No. 2006-259031). If such a technology is used, the lifetime of the photosensitive member may be elongated, but the problem of image noises could not be prevented sufficiently.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid lubricant-coating device and an image-forming apparatus that can prevent generation of image noises such as image blurring and image flowing sufficiently, even when image-forming is carried out at high speed.